SEO is corrupt - changing perceptions

August 22nd, 2007

Whilst we all know the above not to be the case, it still amazes me how many times such comments still come out, however it is that coupled with a lack of ‘value’ that has really prompted this post.

I have lost count of the amount of times upon first meeting a client, I have a comment along the lines of ‘I only paid a fraction of that with my previous agency’ (and having ended up working on these sites/campaigns - it becomes all to apparent why they paid a fraction). However, it was a recent post on the UK Business Forums that really has got me thinking more about this.

In it one of the posters stated the following:

SEO is a corrupt industry - and I feel sorry for the honest SEO’s who are trying their best (RayB - Alocalprinter.com on the UKBusinessForums).

This statement, whilst grossly unfair, does however display the perception search engine optimisation in particular has, and whilst this statement is to a certain extent the personal opinion (although very misguided), it does serve as a benchmark of the mindset we as an industry need to change, particularly here in the UK.

If I went to an advertising agency, and told them I wanted 1000 signups in a month at a CPA of £50, I would be charged a GDP of a small country, however because the web is the web, that same model doesnt appear to translate to online marketing, with comments such as ‘ I also think the SEO industry is the new “Gold Rush” - lots of Cowboys and wild prices.’ (apologies our friend RayB yet again) commonplace.

So where does the issue lie?

Pricing

One has to therefore ask ourselves why is this? This particular scenario was in regard to a price quoted for an SEO project (I have my guesses which one - as initial poster mentions top 10 for SEO), where a price of 65K was mentioned. OK that sort of price whether a fair reflection of work or not (and in my opinion NOT), does not do any good for the reputation of the industry as a whole, as a shady bunch, rather than the Search Marketing professionals we are, and only serves to re-inforce the ‘SEO is a black art/SEO is overpriced brigade’. I would add however I would suggest such pricing was stated in order to disuade the client, rather than a true reflection of project value.
However pricing as a whole is still an issue. It varies widely across the industry, from niche regional boutique agency ad-ons to major search marketing only organisations such as Bigmouth and Latitude. However it is against the lowest common denominator that many of these prices are judged rather than against the larger organisations, which I would suggest isa more common practise across other related marketing sectors. Yes your web design/development agency can do SEO and Paid Search - but is it there bread and butter - Can they advise on long-term strategy - Integration of Online PR - Do they use up-to-date SEO techniques rather than Meta/On page optimisation only - Do they know what Panama is - the list goes on. I would suggest many of these ad-on type agencies don’t.

Selling Techniques

OK, I admit this is a bit generalised, however there are a number of Search Marketing agencies out there that do the Baffle, that is they blind the client with science, many of which are either factually incorrect or are hardly ever or never actually ever implemented on a SEO campaign.

This creates a feeling of ‘mystery’ about the industry to a certain extent, and to a certain degree a phobia. That coupled with the scaremonger Internet stories out there only serve to disuade potential advertisers of the power of the internet as a marketing tool.

The Internet is and will continue to be a powerful marketing tool, not just in terms of Search Engine Marketing but also in terms of other areas of Online Marketing such as Behavioural targeting and the like. However I would suggest until this stigma is broken their will continue to be a degree of reluctance by some advertisers to leverage the potential of the Internet.

Perception

Yes, Joe Blogs can optimise his site for ‘ant collection expert Oxford’. However and this is a BIG however, SEO is more than just optimising for a particular term, it is the aim of optimising for terms that will drive traffic, from enhanced visibility (not just in terms of search engines themselves) and encompasses far more than just visibility on one very localised term.

These days search engine optimisation comprises far more than just it used to. SEO has and probably always will do, had a foundation of creating new entry points into websites (ie linkage), and this means leveraging opportunities that are not just about mere PR passing, but also about traffic/lead generation. However in common day SEO, other facets of Search marketing are part of the SEO mix, such as Online PR, Social media Optimisation and Linkbaiting.

Paid Search is another part of the Search Marketing mix that suffers from a mixed public perception. According to a recent presentation I had from a Marketing Consultant, Paid search is perceived as expensive. I would in certain areas agree with this perception, particularly within the sub-prime finance sector, however there are still a lot of areas where a very good ROI can be achieved. For example I recently worked on a stairlift project where the ROI from the Online Marketing activity (in particular the PPC Management) was over four times lower than the offline activity, both in terms of the number of conversions and the actual cost per figures being reported.

Lack of regulation

This is one area where things are changing, particularly with the introduction of the Search Marketing Charter from the IAB. Such activity can only serve to enhance the perception of Search and Online Marketing as a whole.

Search Engine Marketing has come along way in short period of time, and no doubt will continue to evolve. However there is still some education required in order to show people just how Search Marketing and Online marketing can benefit an organisations marketing strategy

Entry Filed under: SEO Industry, News and Views